Mumbai City FC head coach Des Buckingham was pleased with his side's performance despite being held by ATK Mohun Bagan in a 2-2 draw in the Indian Super League (ISL) at the Mumbai Football Arena, Mumbai, on Sunday.
Lallianzuala Chhangte gave Mumbai City FC an early lead before ATK Mohun Bagan equalised through Mehtab Singh's own goal in the second half. Rostyn Griffiths then saw his goal cancelled out by substitute Carl McHugh as 10-man ATKMB secured a point.
The Englishman heaped praise on his team for being brilliant throughout the first half, but said his side's defensive performance in the second half decided the outcome of the game.
"We took the chances that we should have taken and created enough chances to win the game. We hit the crossbar three times and the post once towards the end. And there are numerous times that we should have probably scored. We put ourselves in a comfortable position at half-time, which makes the second half easier. But we continued to play the way we know in the second half. The problem in football is that the opposition will get chances, and unfortunately for us, they scored from a free-kick. We need to make sure about creating chances, put the game to bed earlier and make it easier for ourselves, and make sure we defend well till the end," Buckingham said in a post-match conference.
Talking about whether there is any specific plan they would shape up, Mumbai City FC head coach said, "We do not change our approach too much no matter which opposition we play. ATK Mohun Bagan are a wonderful side. They have a good coach, and they will be right up there at the end of the season. We played brilliant football not only in the first 20 minutes, but for the entire first half, and in the beginning of the second half, the first 10-15 minutes, they were right on top of their game, and they turned the tie in their favour and got the goal."
"But we got control of the game again. We have more than one way to play with the ball. There is a big difference from last year, and if the opposition tries to exploit us by playing their style, then we would make changes. We have to be smart and clever about how the opposition would fare. As long as we do that, we will be strong and effective," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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